Coupling device.



M. G. MoGUIRE.

0011mm DEVICE. 1 APPLICATION FILED JULY 11 1910. RENEWED APR. 10, 1911.

992,373. Patented May 16, 1911.

8 vwc 1 1 foz wane/00120 D w an'm jjjp wmit may concern:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL Gr. MoG-UIEE, OF NIAGARA FALLS, YORK.

COUPLING DEVICE.

. Be it known that 1, MICHAEL Gr. MCGUIRE, a citizen of the'United States, and residing at NiagaraFa-lls, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented certain nw and useful Improvements in Coux'pling Devices, of which the following isa p ficat utilized for connecting the stretchers of flhis inv'ention relates to a coupling de vice primarily designed for use in connecting the ribs of an umbrella to a stick in lieu of what is known as the ordinary notched collar and flexibleconnecting member used for such purposes',-although it i s to be understood that. thecoupling device can be umbrellas to a runner, brace .rods to a sup- -port, elements of derricks to a mast, stay :braces and guy ropes to anupright, and

for any purposes wherein the invention is found applicable.

Further objects of the invention are toprovide a coupling device for .the' purpose --::set forth which is comparatively simple in .its;;construction; capable ofconvenient apnqgplication, strong, durable, reducing wear rupo'n the,oonnected'ends of the elements to readily set up in operativepoz fsition, and comparatively inexpensive to .30; I.

- the foregoing and other objects in manufacture.

view, the invention consists of'jhe novel .construct1on, combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter morespecifically described and illustrated in the accompanying .1; drawings,- wherein are shown embodiments i ofrtheinvention, but it is to be understood :ithat changes, variations and modificatlons canbe resorted to which come within the scope ofth'e claims hereunto appended.

=In'- the ,drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts -"throughout the several views F igl l' 1 is f-ism elevation of'a coupling device in accord: nce with this invention with one of the ele -ments removed and showing the adaptation thereof in connection with an umbrella stick and rib. Fig. 2 is an elevation of a coupling device in accordance with thisinvention- -showing the adaptation thereof in connectioirwith an umbrella stick and ribs.

'Fig..=-3 is aside elevation of a portion of the "deviceflFig. 4 is an elevation broken away of a modified form. Fig. 5 isan elevation,

-broken away of a modified form, and Fig. 6;;is an elevation showing the application Specification of Letters Patent.

'ings, the combined supportin of the invention to a runner and a plurality of stretchers of an umbrella.

A couplingdevice in accordance with-this lnvention comprises a combined supporting and suspension means adapted to be attached to a suitable support, one or more attaching members, and a retaining member:

By way of example, a coupling device in accordance with this invention is illustrated inconnection with the ribs-and stretchers of an umbrella, yet, it is to be understood the use of the. invention is not so. lim- Referring. to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 ofthedrawand suspens1on .means which will here erred to zas a carrier is indicated. by the reference char acter 1 and consists of a collar provided with a. series of vertically-disposed openings 2 and a series ofvertically-disposed .peripheral grooves 3, each positioned in a plane extending between. a -pair of openings. The suspension means l.-.is adapted to be secured to a suitablesupport, which by way of example,'is shown as thestick 'ofan umbrella'i, provided above the suspension means 1 with a series of threads 5,; 9

Each of the .attaching members" is indicated by the reference character 6 and con sists of a split loop having one leg extending through an opening 2 and bent to extend over the top of the carrier-1 as at 2. The length of the member 6 is such that it will depend below the bottom of the suspension". means 1. The lower portion of the attaching member 6 is curved as at 7 and which-extends through the eyes 8 of a pair of ribs 9 whereby these latter are pivotally connected to the carrier. That leg of the member 6 V v Patented May 16, T911, application filed r l 11, 1910, Serial No. 571,334. Renewed April 10,1911. Serial No. 620,096.

which extends throughthe opening 2 is loosely connected to the carrier 1" whereby the other leg 9 of the said member can be v swung forward and away from the carrier 1 so that the leg--9 canbe when occasion so requires seated in a groove 3-. The rightangularly disposedportion 2 of said mem-. her 6 is spaced from the upper end of the leg 9 whereby a passage is provided to allow ofthe mounting of the'ribs 9 upon the attaching member. The rounded .portion 7 of the attaching mem'ber reduces to a minimum wear upon the ends of the ribs which are mounted upon the member 6. As no sharp corners are provided at-the lower ends of the attaching members, liability-ofbreak age due to wedging'gbetweem the ribs-wand members is reduced to a minimum as the rounded ends for the members prevent a wedging action as the ends of the ribs can freely move during the elevating and lowering of the ribs.

The retaining member is indicated by the reference character 10 and has an enlarged lower portion so as to extend over the car rier 1 when the retaining member is moved to operative positionand when in such position, the member 10 will prevent the legs of the attaching member 6 from'moving out of the grooves 3. The attaching member 10 at its upper portion is reduced and is provided with interior threads for engagement with the threads 5 of the stick 4 wherebythe retaining member 10 is secured in position.

WVhen the coupling device is used in con. nection with an umbrella, the attaching member can be extended so as to fully inclose 1 the upper end of the stick and can be provided with a ferrule if desired or'said members can engage the upper end of the stick and project therefrom and be provided with a ferrule. V a

If the couplingdevice is used in connection with a mast or other upright, the mast or upright is provided with threads for'the engagement by the threads of the retaining member or said member can be secured to the mast or upright in any other suitable manner, as is obvious.

Referring to Fig. 4, the carrier which is indicated by the reference character 11 'is provided with a plurality of'pairs of peripheral grooves 12 and a counter-sunk portion in ne top connecting the grooves of each pair together, said counter-sunk portion being indicated by .the reference character 13 and constituting a seat. The form of attaching member as shown in Fig. 4: consists of a split loop 14: having a curved lower portion 15 and the ends thereof bent at right angles as at 16, said angular ends 16 being spaced from each other and mounted in the seat 13. When the attaching members are mounted in the grooves 12 and the angular ends 16 of the attaching members in the seat 13, the retaining member which is similar to that shown in Fig. 1' is then moved to a position to inclose the periphery of the carrier 11, whereby the attaching members are. maintained in .position. The curved lower portion 15 of the attaching member is adapted to support the braces or the other elements which are to be coupled in position. The carrier is provided with a plurality of depending lugs 15 for spacing the apertured connected ends of the elements carried by the attaching member, said elements being umbrella ribs, braces, stay bars, etc.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, 17 de notes the stick of an umbrella which has struck therefrom a plurality of lugs. The lugs constitute the combined supporting and suspension means termed a carrier. Each pair of lugs 18 adapted to support and suspend an attaching member of a form s1m1lar .to that shown in Fig. 4. The stick of the stick 17 In the construction shown in Fig. 6, the

coupling device is referred to generally by the reference character 19 and is attached to the runner 20 of an umbrella. The position 'of the device'is reversed to that shown in Fig. .l.

'21 to the runner.

The device 19 couples the stretchers The stick is indicated at 22.

'By coupling or attaching umbrella ribs, stretchers or other elements in the manner as shown, the lower or upper face of the carrier constitutes a bearing for the ends of the ribs or elements during the, shifting of these latter.

In connection with the employment of the device for coupling the ribs of an umbrella toa stick, it overcomes the objection of throwing of the ribs out of position or separation of the ribs from the "stick. In this connection, it will be stated that ordinarily the ribs are coupled to the notched collar of an umbrella by a flexible member and that during the elevating and lowering of the rods, there is a constant'pull and push on the flexible member which result-s in the unseating of the same, throwing the ribs out of position and oftentimes resulting in the breaking of the flexible member causing all of the ribs to become separated from the stick, but it is obvious that when the device is used in accordance with this invention, the

throwing out of position, of the ribs as well as the separation of the ribs from the stick is reduced to a minimum.

By employing a plurality of attaching,

members for one or more ribs or elements, it

is obvious that if one attaching member j breaks, but one or more ribs will be separated from the stick whereas if a single flexible member is used, if such member,

should break, all of the ribs would become separated.

What I claim is: v v

1. A coupling device comprising a combmed supporting and suspension means, a plurality of attaching members in the form of shiftable split loops carried thereby for receiving and pivotally connecting elements to said means, and an adjustable retaining member partially surrounding the members and means whereby the attaching members are maintained in position against said means.

2. A coupling device comprising a combined supporting and suspension means, a plurality of attaching.meni ers in the form of shiftable split loops carried thereby for receiving and pivotally connecting elements to said means, and an adjustable annular retaining member partially surrounding said means and members whereby the attaching members are maintained in position against said means, each of said attaching members having a curved end portion.

3. A coupling device comprising a combined supporting and suspension means, a plurality of shiftabie attaching members in the form of split loops carried. thereby for receiving and pivot-ally connecting elements to the suspension means, and aretaining member partially surrounding the suspension means and said members whereby the attaching members are maintained in position against saidmeans.

at. A coupling device comprising a combined supporting and suspension means, a plurality of shiftable attaching members in the form of split loops carried thereby for receiving and pivot-ally connecting elements to said means, and a retaining member partially surrounding said means and said mem bers whereby the attaching members are maintained in position against said means, each of said attaching members having a curved end portion.

5. A coupling device comprising a combined supporting and suspension means, a

, plurality of attaching members in the form of split loops having-a right-angularly disposed portion engaging said means whereby said attaching members are supported therefrom, each of said members having a curved end portion constituting means for pivotally connecting elements to the comblned supporting and suspension means, and a retaining member partially surrounding said combined supporting and suspension means and said attaching members for maintaining the attaching members in position.'

6. A coupling device comprising a com-- bined supporting and suspension means, a plurality of shiftable attaching members in the form of split loops having a right-angularly disposed portion engaging said means whereby said attaching members are supported therefrom, each of said members having a curved end portion constituting means for pivotally connecting elements to the combined supporting and suspension means, and a retaining member extending aroundsaid combined supporting and suspension m for maintaining the attaching members in position.

7. A coupling device for the purpose set forth comprising a combined suppo ting and suspension means, an attaching member in the form of a split-loop carried thereby and having a curved end portion for the reception of the end of an element whereby sand element is connected to said means, and a I retaining member extending over said means whereby the attaching member is maintained in position for connecting the element to said means.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses. I

MICHAEL G. MCGUIRE. 

